Days Out In East Sussex: Drusillas Park, East Sussex Review

When looking for a day out in East Sussex our family cannot recommend Drusillas enough. As a previous member as a child myself I have loved rediscovering the park, noticing what has stayed the same and what has changed. Sure enough they still have some old classics like the milking cow, a plastic cow where children can pretend to milk the udders! But things have been updated too and the park has been well looked after. It isn’t looking tired at all.
Drusillas is split in to three main sections: the zoo, the play area and hello kitty’s secret garden.

The Zoo:

One of the first sections is Lily’s favourite: the cheeky monkeys. There are all sorts of different shapes and sizes, and it’s nice to see them scampering around in plenty of space. (Top Tip: There is a back entrance to the restaurant as you walk through the monkeys. Joe and I like to treat ourselves to a coffee to walk around with, members receive 10% discount).

Next is the farm section. There are all the usual farm animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, etc. One of the features we like is the rope pull, where you can see if you can pull as much as a beaver, fox, serval and cart horse. Joe fancies himself as quite a strong guy and he cannot pull the cart horse rope. Our theory is its stuck down… If not maybe he’s not as strong as he thinks! Or not as strong as a cart horse anyway!

Moving on there are the meerkats, one of my favourite sections! There is a tunnel going in to the meerkat enclosure with a bubble that you can pop your head up in. Great for a photo opportunity!

Walking through the rest of Drusillas Park there are animals of all kinds, owls, bats (a bit scary as they fly around over your head and do really pong!) flamingos, even red pandas. Another popular section is the Lemurland, where you walk around the lemur enclosure. The lemurs run around and sit on the fences beside you. Lily loves being up close to the animals.

Another excellent section is the Lory Landing, where there is the option to purchase some nectar and the Rainbow Lorikeets fly over. To warn you they will perch on your head and arms, so you need to be a bird lover for this one!

The playground

There is an outdoor and indoor section to the playground, and a section for pre school children in each. This is great so you don’t have to worry about bigger children knocking little ones over. During the summer you can cool down in the water park area “Get Wet” which is freshly built.

There is a bounce pad, boat swings, various slides, a safari truck and so much more. The cafe next to the playground sells delicious food at a reasonable price. Around the corner is the train. Lily loves spotting the “doo doo” (train) as it makes regular trips round the park.

Hello Kitty Secret Garden

This is a big part of why we love Drusillas so much. There are three attractions: A Hello Kitty Hopper Ride, A Hello Kitty Teacup Ride (it can go really fast as Joe and one of our friends discovered recently!) and our favourite: Hello Kitty Cars. Visitors can “drive” these electric cars round a little trail. Lily loves this and it’s another great photo or video opportunity.

Overall

We love Drusillas. One of the only complaints I hear is that it is pricey compared to other attractions in the area. However when you consider all the things there are to do and see I really think it is worth the money. If buying an adult ticket you go 4 times in the year on peak it is worth paying for membership. You also receive a discount if you renew within 30 days of it expiring. Children under 2 get in free.

Drusillas is an excellent place to take children of any age, we have been taking Lily since she was about 1. The park is enjoyable for adults too, and every time we go we still have fun. It’s not somewhere you get bored with after a few visits as the animals are always doing something different. It certainly gets 10/10 from us.

Who am I?

My name's Beth, I live in East Sussex with my husband Joe and our daughter Lily-Mae. I juggle part time work alongside adventures out and about with Lily. I'm aiming to write an honest blog about the trials and triumphs of parenting. I started blogging on and off when I was pregnant with Lily, but I never stuck to it until now. This time I have found my blogging groove and can't imagine my life without it! I'm a bit of what some might call a "hippie mum", I'm a cuddler, not a cry it outer. I am a cup of tea loving, scruffy bun wearing, soft play hating, chocolate adoring, will-probably -be-at least-10-minutes-late-to-a-playdate kind of mum, but above all I just love being a mum.